5.10 Managing Your Depository Collection

Managing a depository collection is complex because some aspects of management are mandated while others require a professional understanding of the interplay of various collections, both in your larger library and within your state or region. It also requires a solid understanding of the services your library provides in the use of government document collections including access, reference and research, and referrals.

5.10.A Claiming Depository Publications

• Publication runs of tangible materials are often quite limited. Therefore it is important to check shipping lists as soon as possible to make sure all items have arrived. If you delay claiming missing items, GPO may not be able to replace them. GPO has a “Claims Copies Exhausted" web page that identifies items no longer in stock. Check this webpage before using GPO’s online Web Claim form for missing items. See chapter 6 in this Handbook for more details on claims.

5.10.B Superseded Publications

• In following, the superseded and substitution guidelines, tangible products which appear on the Superseded List and are substituted with an electronic equivalent may be superseded in the normal fashion.
• Superseded materials should be systematically identified. If retained for historical purposes, they should be physically marked as superseded. The supersession note or stamp may say "superseded" or may include a phrase such as "later edition may be available". Special requirements for charts and maps can be found in Appendix C of this Handbook. Superseded items may be withdrawn immediately from the collection; refer to the latest superseded list.
• Publications, maps, CD-ROMs, and other depository materials that are superseded may be treated as secondary materials as soon as the update or the final version of the publication is distributed by GPO. Individual titles, serials, and series can be found in the Superseded List.
• The instructions in the Introduction to the Superseded List apply to all depository libraries. For titles not listed in the Superseded List, the FDLP Guidelines for Determining Superseded Materials and the FDLP Guidelines on Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications should be consulted. In using the FDLP guidelines when substituting, depository coordinators may use professional judgment to determine when an online version has superseded a print version.
• It is important to understand the differences between the Superseded List and the FDLP Guidelines on Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications to properly manage your depository collection. Discards and substitutions are explained in this chapter as well as in chapter 6 in this Handbook.